including last week at New York City's Jazz at Lincoln Center. Valdés and the Yoruban Orchestra have been performing his latest four-part suite, 'The Creation,' throughout the U.S. His father, Bebo, was the pianist and director of the Tropicana Club orchestra and Orquesta Sabor de Cuba, and his son Chuchito also plays piano. He’s released seven albums on the Blue Note jazz label. Valdés, who turns 81 this month, founded the iconic Cuban jazz group Irakere - which featured artists like Arturo Sandoval and Paquito D’Rivera - in the 1970s. His eyebrows raise up in amusement when he begins an expressive piano piece, or when he’s asked interview questions he likes. He smiles when he plays something he likes on the piano, or when a bandmate surprises him with a tasteful note or phrase onstage. The Cuban pianist, bandleader, composer, and arranger Chucho Valdés seems to have a permanent smile on his face. has earned him seven GRAMMY Awards and four Latin GRAMMYs. recently caught up with Chucho Valdés, whose work has greatly influenced Latin and Afro-Cuban jazz. Presented by, Living Legends is an editorial series that honors icons in music and celebrates their inimitable legacies and ongoing impact on culture.

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